Artemis Fowl: the Epilogue
by DxCxS2
Summary: SPOILERS - "Holly" No1 sighed. "The DNA was for Foaly, but the kiss, the kiss was for you." A year after the Last Guardian Artemis still doesn't remember anything, and Holly doesn't know how to bring her friend back, or how she feels about him.


**So the end of the Last Guardian killed me. No really it did, all those loose ends…so I decided to write myself a five part ending (well five chapter whatever) of what happened after the Last Guardian. I hope you enjoy and please review! Epilogue **

"That's the end?" Artemis asked, looking up from his laptop.

"Well it's not really the end" Holly said, the discomfort in her voice visible "We're here now, so that's…"

"Oh yes. Excuse me Captain, I should have been more specific, I just meant the end of this" Artemis clarified in an overly formal manner that made Holly sink into her seat. It wasn't necessarily that he was too formal, it was that he was distant. "We really did some amazing things…I wish I could remember them."

"So none of this has helped?" Holly pressed.

"It's not as if it hasn't" Artemis explained "I'm aware of the events, and sometimes I feel like I might be remembering it. It's strange. I know it all, but I don't remember it."

"Do you think the memories are there?" she had been doing this for a year, and now, there was nothing more. She had kept going narrating their experiences to him whenever she could come up, and when he didn't remember, she assured herself that if she just kept going he would remember. He had to.

"I am positive they are still there" Artemis began, shifting in his seat "I just need a trigger of some sort to really remember."

"I see" said Holly, unsure of what else to say, because she felt uncomfortable. Because years of friendship with Artemis were gone. She had lost her best friend, and her efforts to bring him back, or build a new friendship, were failing. For the first few months she had called him Arty, but he hadn't responded well.

It wasn't just Holly he was distant with. It had been everyone. They were all trying their best, but it didn't seem to be good enough. Telling him what had happened wasn't enough, it wasn't the same as actually having been there, remembering those feelings of fear, anger, and love.

Artemis could see the disappointment on Holly's face. "Do you have time to stay for dinner?" he asked, shutting his computer. Holly shook her head. It wasn't just that she needed to get back because she spent a large amount of time at Fowl Manor, she just couldn't handle the discomfort between the two.

Or more importantly, she was struggling with what was next, where they left off, and where they were now. Where were they now? She could continue trying to forge a friendship, but it would never be the same as the one Holly and Artemis had previously. And something in her ached inside her. Something she couldn't accurately describe.

"Thanks for coming Holly" Butler said as he escorted her out. "I think it's been helping…" his eyes fell to the floor. "We've been doing our best, but…he still doesn't remember any of us. It's that distant way he looks at us…" and Holly understood the feeling Butler described. She tried to think of the horror of losing his charge, a boy he helped raise, and now...to have Artemis look at him without remembering him. It must have hurt.

"Hopefully one day he comes back" Holly told Butler as well as herself.

Pretty soon Holly was back at Headquarters. Commander Kel was rather lenient, but she had work to do as well. What, with The People still trying to recuperate after Opal's last attempt of World Domination, they needed help form all able bodied Officers. Of course, Holly had already done a large amount for The People.

"When are heading back up?" Foaly asked Holly down in the LEP Headquarters.

"Hm?" Holly shot pretending not to hear him.

"Callabine wants to make dinner plans, and we thought it'd be fun for the three of us to go out." Foaly answered, "So when are you heading back up to see the Mudboy?"

"I don't know" Holly replied "We finished everything."

"Everything?" Foaly asked.

"I've told him everything," she continued "and he still doesn't remember any of it." Holly tried to cover up the pain in her words, but it was more than evident.

"I'm sure it will come back," Foaly said in an attempt to comfort Holly as he sloppily patted her arm "and if he doesn't you guys will always be friends."

"Yeah." Holly breathed. "Always…" but it would never be the same. When she was around Artemis she wanted to be near him. To laugh with him. To touch him. But now, now he was uncomfortable with those things. She thought he used to feel the same, but she was unsure. She remembered the kiss on her forehead he gave her. It had felt special then, but now it was both a blessing and a curse.

"You guys should send me a message later. I only came in to check in with Commander Trouble" Holly told Foaly.

Foaly raised an eyebrow. "You just got back where are you heading now?"

"Home to sleep" Holly replied. "I told No1 we could meet for breakfast tomorrow."

"Ah yes" Foaly retorted "He's back from his Moon adventure. A lot of good that did us in the crisis…"

"Oh stop whining" Holly snapped "And he's been back for a while now."

"How would you know that with all the time you've spent-" Foaly stopped himself midsentence, when he saw Holly's face.

"He came back early. I picked him up myself" she articulated, and then paused. Holly rubbed her temples. "Gods" she breathed "I need some rest." It was off to see Artemis, back to headquarters, into Haven for work or patrol, to sleep, to keep up her current relationships, to work, and then back up to Artemis. She was exhausted.

"He said 'that's end?'" Holly told No1. "He thinks the memories are still there waiting to be triggered, but he still remembers nothing, and I just-" she bit her lip. "I don't know what's next…"

"So you're done with the recounting of your adventures…" No1 said "but you are still thinking about the kiss."

"I am not" Holly shot, but No1 held her glare until it softened.

"I think it's been year and you are still thinking about it because you aren't sure what it meant" No1 said, hitting the nail on the head, as it were. "I know you keep writing yours and Artemis's relationship off as friends, the kiss as a means, but it's all quite obvious to me." Holly shot him a curious glance.

"Holly." No1 sighed. "The DNA was for Foaly, but the kiss, the kiss was for you." Holly let out a deep breath, really allowing herself to explore the possibilities behind No1's statement.

"It was a friendly kiss…" Holly explained, but No1 shook his head.

"How often does Artemis give out kisses?" he teased. "But that's not really the issue here. We all know how Artemis felt, feels, or rather will feel when he can remember. I spoke to him when he was in the Atlantis state, saw both of you after your trip back in time. The question is, how do you feel Holly?"

Holly sucked in a deep gulp of air. "What if he never remembers?"

"He might not," No1 said, the honesty in his eyes clear "but that won't change any of what you feel."


End file.
